Rear signal light for automobiles



May V17, 1921. 1,629,232

P. A. STOVER.

'REAR SIGNAL LIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed sept. a, was

Patented May 17, 1927. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

PAUL A. STOVER, F RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STOVER SIGNAL ENGI- NEERING COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REAR SIGNAL LIGHT FOR' AUTOMOBILES.

AppIication led September 8, 1923. Serial No. 661,568.

My invention relates to improvements in trade-mark of the automobile manufacrear signal lights for automobiles. More turer; the name of a city, the initials or 55 specifically it relates to an improvedcombimonogram of the owner, or the symbol of nation tail lamp and danger signal comprissome club or other organization. The lower 5 ing a lamp structure having a red light or glass panel 7 is preferably in the form of a other distinctly colored light constantly vislens of red, yellow or green glass constitutible from the rear of the vehicle, and a lamp ing a warning signal. 60 illuminated intermittently to indicate a The interior ofthe structure is divided change of speed, such asl a'slowing down or into an upper and lower compartment by 70 stopping of the machine. 4 v means of a partition 8, shown in perspective The 'signal lamp disclosed herein is in 1n Fig. 5. Said partition is madeprefertended as an improvement overv the' lamp ably by stamping it from sheet metal; the 65 shown in my co-pending application 629,765, upper portion thereof is bent into a plane at iiledApril 4, 1923. right angles to the main dividing wall, but

The objects of the present invention are hasv a long rectangular opening cut thereto provide a signal lamp of this character from leaving end strips 9 beyond which is having certain structural improvements over a sheet metal extension 10 struck up from 70 my prior structure whereby the parts may the plane on the members 9. Sheet metal be manufactured more economically and the lugs 11, are struck ont of the sidewall of the lamp assembled more rapidly. Another ob# housing and bent over, as shown iny Figures ject is to provide an improved support for 2 and 3, to Support the glass panel 5 with its the two signal lamps vvhereb a single elecsurface substantially Hush with the rear edge 75 trical attachment plug may e used in conof the housing. Said panel is also supported necting the lamps with the battery circuit, onlugs 12 bent atright anglesto the dividing instead of the two attachment plugs prepartition 8, additional lugs 13 being bent in viously used. Other objectswill be apthe opposite direction and serving tov supparent from the description hereinafter port the central panel 6; said panel also rest- 80 given of the preferred embodiment of the ing on the 'ledge 14 and on the end meminvention. bers 9. Said central panel is not quite as Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the signal long as the distance between the two screws lamp. 4, the latter serving to position said panel Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation therelongitudlnally. Additional lugs 15 are 85 of with the rear wall or cover removed. struck from the sheet metal extension 10 f Fig. 3 is a central sectional elevation on and serve to position the panel 7, the latter line 3-3, Fig. 1. resting also on lugs 16.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on line rlhe three panels when assembled on their 4--4, Fig. 1. respective supports it snugly within the 90A Fig. 5 is a pers ective View of the removcasing. The parts are preferably so proable partition, an portioned that in assembling them it is Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram. necessary to Yspring the opposite side walls The body of the structure or' casing is of the casinv in towards each other a little made preferably from a single sheet, of so that lthe three panels may be conveniently 95 metal 1 draw'n to cup-shaped form and prodropped into place',3:,after which the resilvided with a rear wall or cover 2 having iency of said side walls causes them to be flanges 3. Said cover is held in place by held with a fairly firm frictional grip so suitable fastening means, such as a pair of that there is little danger of rattling. Afscrews 4; said cover has a plurality of openter the cover 2 has been pnt in place and the 100 ings therein, preferably threc,'in the upper screws 4 tightened the three panels are held of which is a glass panel 5 having` the word securely against movement in any ldirec- Stop formed therein constituting a stop tion. l 1 v signal. The middle panel G is intended to It will be noted that the central partition display the name of the. car or owner, or 8 is simply slipped into place, the ends 9 195- some design or other insignia, such as the being confined frictionally within the side Walls of the housing and positively held against movement by the same screws 4 which alsohold the.cover in place. With this arrangement the structure may be very readily assembled, the parts being held in place by two screws only, and on the other hand access to the interior may be readily had by simply removing the two screws' and removing the glass panels and also pulling out the middle partition, if desired.

At the opposite sides of the casing, a pair of sheet metal strips 17 are located, being held in place by rivets 18 or other suitable means. Thel outer ends of said strips are bent over and screw-threaded to receive screws 4, as shown in Fig. 4f. The lmiddle part of each strip is struck up to receive a further sheet metal strip 19, the` end of which is oi'set to form a clip 20, as shown in Fig. 2. These clips 2O serve to position a curved glass panel 21 which closes an opening 22 1n the bottom of the casing. This glass panel permits the license plate to be illuminated by the light from the interior of the casing.

Within said casing is a substantially hemispherical sheet metal support 23 having struck -up portions24 constituting a air of ylamp sockets which 'receive incan escent.

lamps 25 and 26, as shown in Figures 2 and 3; said sheet metal sup ort 23 also consti; tutes a common termina for the two lamps and being permanently secured to the casing l, as by spot welding, for example, providing a grounded connection. The center contacts for the two lamps are furnished by resilient metal strips 27 and 28 -which are molded into suitable insulating material 29, preferably bakalite, and supported in a cylindrical member 30 projecting from the front or' casing 1 constituting a socketfor an attachment lug. Any suitable attachment plu may heused to connect the lamps with the attery circuit through conductors 31 and 32, as shown in Fig. 3.

The lamp structure as a whole has secured to the lfront side thereof a stili metal plate 33 from which project bolts 34 Wherelby the lamp structure may be supported on a -suitable bracketon the reary part of an automobile. At the lower end of the plate 33 is the license bracket 35 the license plate (notI shown) being arranged beneath the lamp in such position that it may be illuminated by the incandescent lamp 26.

In the circuit diagram in Fig. 6, a switch 36 is shown operated by the brake-pedal 37 or other suitable means whereby the circuit of lamp 25 is closed intermittently vwhenever the car slows down. Said switch completes the circuit to the battery 38, the lamp 26 bein also connected to said battery through a suitable switch 39 which may remain closed fr long intervals oi? time.

As previously pointed out construe tion described permits rapid assembly and economical manufacture of the parts, most of which are sheet metal stampings. Furthermore, only a single attachment plug is required to close the c-ircuit'of the two lamps. 7o

What I claim as new is:

1.' A vehicle signal lamp comprisingl a housing formed with a base portion, an un secured-.partition removably inserted in said housing and dividing said housing into two compartments, said partition being provided with an angularly disposed portion `overlying one of said compartments,said overlying portion being apertured to accommodate translucent panels, a cover for said housing S0 aperture'd to align with the apertures in said overlying portion of said partition, translucent panels located between the apertures in said overlying portion and the corresponding apertures in said cover.

2. A vehicle signal lamp comprising a housing, a single supporting means therein being provided with two lamp sockets, a lamp mounted in each of said sockets, contacts carried by said casing in position con- 00 tactable by said lamps, said lamps being movable with said supporting means into and out ot contact with said contacts, a partition located between said lamps and -ii`reely insertable in and removable from said housing, and a removable cover for said housing co-ac'ting with said partition to divide said housing into a pair of compartments eachY containing one-of said lamps. i

3. A device of 'the class described, com- 100 prising a'housing, a cover therefor having three openingsd therein, an unsecuredpartition Within said housing/.having an extension arranged at right angles to saidparti-l. tion and substantially parallel to said cover but spaced therefrom, and a translucent panel for each oit said openings arranged beneath said cover and removable without disturbance of said lamps, said partition and extension being provided with means to con-- 11o tac-t and support a pair of said panels, said extension being apertured to coincide with one of said openings.

4. A signal lamp comprising a sheet metal casing having a base and side walls, said vwalls being curved to form angles on opposite sides of said casing a removable partition member fitting within said'casing and' having a right angular extension, 'said eX- tension being gripped by said opposite 126 curved walls to be retained in place by `friction, and a cover for said casing.

5. lira device of thev class described, a housing having projections arranged on the inner walls thereof, a'removable cover for said 125 housing, fastening 4means passing through said cover int-o said angular projections, a partition within said housing having an end bent at rightaugles and spaced romsaid cover, a translucent panel supported be- 13G f strips secured to opposite walls thereof, an-

gularly disposed stripsterminating near said openmg 1n said housing, a transparent panel closing said opening and held by said angularly disposed strips, and a cover having means for securing it to said first named strips, said first and second named strips being secured to said housing by a common means. y

7 A signal lamp comprising a cup shaped sheet metal housing, a removable cover therefor, a partition located in said housing to divide the same into two compartments, said partition being provided withy angularly disposed lugs and an oppositely directed angularly disposed extension, said extension being apertured, three. translucent panels, means including said lugs and said cover holding one of said panels in position,

n said lamp'including means holding another of' said panels over the aperture in said angular extension and means including the angular extension to hold the third ofsaid panels between said extension and' said cover. v

8. A vehicle signal lamp comprising a casing having a base, said base having an opening therein, a convex metal shell secured to said base and overlying said opening, incandescent lamps mounted in saidshell, a partition removably inserted between said lamps and extending between the sides of said casing to divide the same into a pair of compartments, said partition extending outwardly from said base and being recessed to conform to the exterior of said metal shell, and a cover for said housing.

9. A vehicle signal lamp comprising la metal housing having an aperture in one wall thereof, a concave supporting member secured to said wall around said aperture and having a plurality of lamp receiving openings, insulated contact members projecting through said aperture and into the concarity of' said support into contactable position with relation to lamps carried in said openings in said supporting member.

10. A vehicle lamp comprising a sheet metal housing having an aperture in one wall thereot, a supporting member secured to said wall around said aperture, said supporting member being provided with a pair of spaced aperturesv surrounded by sleeve portions to providesockets Afor lamps, a plug member 'extending through the aperture in said housing and provided with a pair of v said aperture, said member and housing be-l insulated spring contacts located in contact able position with relation to lamps inserted in said sockets.

l1. A vehicle lamp comprising a sheet metal housing having an aperture in one wall thereof, a supporting member secured to said wall around said aperture, said supporting member being provided with a pair of spaced aperturesY surrounded by sleeve portions to provide sockets for lamps, a plug member extending through the aperture in said housing and provi-ded witha pair of insulated spring contacts located `in contact-,- able position with respect to lamps inserted in said sockets, a sleeve carrying said plug projecting outwardly of sald housing to form a socket for. a connector.

12. A vehicle signal lamp comprising a sheet metal housing with an aperture in one wall thereof, a supporting member of con 80 Vex exterior, secured to the inner side of said wall around and over said aperture, said member being provided with a pair of spaced, divergently arranged, lamp receiving lsockets and means, carrying insulated 35 contacts, projecting through said aperturein the wall of said housing to -lie beneath said lamp receiving sockets.

13. A vehicle lamp comprising a metal housing having a back wallwithl an aperture therein, a lamp supporting member having aplurality of lamp receiving openings therein, means for removably securing said supporting member to said wall over ing so shaped as to form a space with which the llamp receiving openings communicate, contact members extending through said aperture into said space, each having a: `c'ontact portion adjacent a corresponding lamp receiving opening and means for supporting said contact members on andinsulating them from said housing.

14. A vehicle signal lamp comprising a sheet metal housing open at one side-` and havinganl aperture in the bottom thereof,

a cover for said open side and a translucent cover for said aperture in the bottom, spring strips `having free ends yieldingly engageable with sald transparent cover to hold the 1 10 same in position, angularlyY disposed fastening strips, said fastening strips and said spring strip being secured to said housing .by common fastening means, and meansto secure said first named cover to said fastening strips.

In testlmony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

PAUL A. STOVER,

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. `1,629, 232. Granted May 17, i927, to

PAUL A. STOVER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in therprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction a's follows': Page 2, line 128, claim 5, beforethe Word "partition" insiert the word "remcvable"; and that ,the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of June, A. D. 1927.

M. J. Moore, Seal.

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

